Thursday, November 26, 2009

Mabel is right, this will be a huge project and we need to strategize. But I think it would be a mistake to limit ourselves to criticism. I say we break up into several groups: Mabel can be in charge of criticism, and I'll oversee the translations of the Ken'yūsha writers. Here's the first batch of stories (and one essay) we should translate:

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Hello. Sorry for not writing these past few months. Things have been pretty hectic here in Dublin. Anyway, I saw your recent post about translating everything available on Aozora Bunko. Great idea. But you're going to need a strategy, because there's soooo much there. I say start with works of criticism. I've made a list of the first 13. You and Sally can figure out who gets what. Maybe you can get Boyd to help. I'd be happy to help if you need me (although my Japanese is still not that great.) Here's the list:

I finished editing the next installment of your play, and sent it to the boys at Neojaponisme. As you know, they have a rule against double-postings, so I can't post it here. What I can do, however, is post the I-speech version of the play, as a sample.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thought I should let you know you're mentioned in this dude's recent blog post. The dude also translates Walt Whitman's "Behold This Swarthy Face" into Japanese.

Whitman's original (1900):

Behold this swarthy face, these gray eyes,This beard, the white wool unclipt upon my neck,My brown hands and the silent manner of me without charm;Yet comes one a Manhattanese and ever at parting kisses me lightlyon the lips with robust love,And I on the crossing of the street or on the ship's deck give akiss in return,We observe that salute of American comrades land and sea,We are those two natural and nonchalant persons.

Not half bad. I did, however, take the liberty of replacing his 「無関心」 with 「ノ ンシャラン」, which seems closer to the original "nonchalant." (If you're thinking, "duh," I should remind you of the fallacy of translingual homographic equivalency). I hope the dude doesn't mind.

Friday, November 20, 2009

I've spent the last two nights updating the encyclopedia, so have a look. I've also added a new feature: links to online texts of those writers included in Aozora Bunko. Now our viewers can start getting used to reading the texts in the original. As for our Aozora Bunko English translation project, I'll send you an update next week.

Also, I was hoping our readers could send some suggestions for items to add. David Boyd suggested last night that we add the famous Kokoro ronsō between Komori Yōichi and Nakamura Miharu to our list of major literary ronsō. Thanks for the suggestion, Boyd. If anyone else has something they'd like us to add, please send. Again, here's the table of contents:

I. People (Pre- and Early Modern; Meiji/Taishō; Shōwa/Heisei) [arranged chronologically by date of birth]

II. Publsihing Companies・Newspapers・Journals and Magazines [arranged chronologically by date of first publication]

III. Types of Shōsetsu [arranged alphabetically]

IV. Major Literary Ronsō [arranged alphabetically]

V. Literary Awards [arranged chronologically by year of first issue]

VI. Literary Groups and Terms [arranged alphabetically]

VII. Political Groups and Movements [arranged chronologically]

VIII. Incidents (Jiken/Jihen) [arranged chronologically]

IX. Organizations and Institutions [arranged chronologically]

Oh, and someone was handing out this JASSO newsletter yesterday in front of the embassy. Isn't that you in the first two pictures?

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

I'm currently lobbying several government ministries and private foundations in both the U.S. and Japan for a multi-million dollar grant to translate into English the copyright-expired works available on Aozora Bunko. As you know, Aozora Bunko has several thousand works by over 500 Japanese authors, so I need you to round up 15-20 (at least!) of the best translators/bungaku specialists you can find. This is an enormous project which will likely take several years to complete.

I also need you to write a letter explaining the project's importance—how the vast diffusion of knowledge is now possible through the internet; how the project will increase the world's awareness of Japanese culture, history, and literature; how we hope eventually to post the texts on Project Gutenberg; etc.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Here is Beholdmyswarthyface's translation of "Urashima, The Unofficial Version," a 20-line tanka sequence by contemporary poet Ishikawa Mina 石川美南 (b. 1980). The poem is loosely based on the story of UrashimaTarō. For Ishikawa's original, click here.

(I, gray with years, close my eyes and open the box. In the box is an ancient sea.)

Rocks crumbling from the bluff, the cape grumbled on and on

Drawing on memory unfurl the neatly folded sea

**

Catch and release, midday break lingering in the mouth is salt-breeze

Wielded by an invisible hand an angling rod snags a bale of turtles

Mulling on the soulfoot tramples a shellfish graveyard

(Tuesday. Order in for boxes. Inquiry for four payments.)

Fingering a hole in the conference room we'll leave the emergency light on

I paste in the margins, but can't seem to stick with anyone

Finished with the manual I shoo away the sea anemone behind the copier

Monday, November 2, 2009

Hi honey. Here is the Halloween picture of me dressed up as Sally Suzuki, Beholdmyswarthyface Media Director. Dad was Reginald Denny again. Nothing big this year, just dressed up and walked to Postinos for dinner.

is a collaborative web journal founded and edited by Beholdmyswarthyface and Sally Suzuki. It focuses primarily—but not solely—on modern Japanese culture, history, and literature. Of miscegenated and common birth, Beholdmyswarthyface grew up in Phoenix, AZ. He holds a Ph.D. from University of Tokyo, and currently teaches literature as tenured lecturer at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies 名古屋外国語大学.